DENVER (AP) — About 1,000 flights into Denver have been canceled as a winter storm hits the western U.S., with blizzard conditions expected to engulf parts of Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Nebraska and South Dakota.

School was canceled Wednesday in many places where up to more than a foot (30 centimeters) of snow and winds as high as 80 mph (129 kmh) was possible.

State and local government workers in Denver and Wyoming were told to stay home and many colleges also closed for the day.

Parts of Interstates 80 and 25 were closed in Wyoming because of heavy snow and whiteout conditions.

Heavy snow was falling in northern Arizona and forecasters say dangerous winds in New Mexico are expected to make travel hazardous across much of the state.